Page 117 of A Lesson in Obedience

46

Riley

Itugged my backpack higher on my shoulders and headed for the library. I looked at nobody and headed straight for the same spot Corrin and Ike had found me in before. I turned down the aisle and found my best friend on the floor, scrolling through her phone.

I rapped my knuckle against the wood bookshelf, gaining her attention. She scrambled to get up, throwing her body at me.

“Oh my god!” She hugged me tighter and then pulled back, punching me in the arm.

“Ow! What was that for?”

She frowned, then punched me in my other arm. “Oops. Sorry I meant to do it twice. One was for leaving me dazed and confused after that coven meeting and the other was for ever thinking I was afraid of you.”

“I never said that.”

Corrin rolled her eyes. “You didn’t have to. Ike is smarter than he looks and he assumed the worst. Let’s get one thing straight, the lastthing you will ever do is scare me. Well, not in that way at least. I was alarmed at what that whole mess would do to you, but not for a second did I think you would ever actually hurt me.” She shook my shoulders. “I didn’t appreciate you leaving me on read and allowing Ike, Mateo and everyone else to be the bearer of information.”

I walked around her and let my back hit the wall, sliding down onto the floor. “I didn’t know what to do after that and then everything happened with River. I didn’t even get a real chance to talk to my mom. I promise you are not the only one who is severely upset with me.”

Corrin sat down next to me, adjusting her glasses. “Well, help me understand what you’re doing now. You told me that you’re living with Chancellor Fowler? Like he thinks you’ll be one happy family?”

“Something like that.”

“And your guys have no play in this?”

I shook my head. “Not yet. Chancellor Fowler still owes River and Asher’s dad a healthy dose of power. I have a big hunch it’s happening during the next moon gathering, so he can siphon and then give it to Oliver.”

“And the next moon gathering is in two days,” Corrin confirmed, checking her calendar on her phone.

“Exactly. I heard him on the phone with Oliver and that might be my only shot to knock them both out in one go. He invited him over to the house.”

Corrin made a disgusted face. “I’m going to make a highly educated guess and say you aren’t planning on taking him down all by yourself? Because you have your boyfriends up in arms thinking you’ve gone insane.”

I let out the smallest smile I could muster. “No, of course not. But they can’t come busting in like I know they want to. The condition was I can ‘keep’ them, but they can’t interfere, hence River in the hospital.”

“So, they need to be good boys and stay put.”

“Precisely, well, until I’m ready.”

“And you wanted me to do some witchy science things for you? Tell me more.” She scooted closer to me, our shoulders pressed against each other.

“How good are you at making sleeping potions?”

Corrin tapped her chin. “Depends.”

“I need it to be strong and it doesn’t have to be a liquid, it can be a powder.”

“You want me to make something like what Oliver used to knock us out in your dad’s office?”

I rubbed my lips together, wondering if I was asking too much. “Actually, yes.”

Corrin grinned over at me, her dark skin glowing with delight. “Your wish is my command. Is this for Oliver? Because I would love to throw a whole pound of that shit in his stupid face.”

I patted her knee. “No, it’s for the people Chancellor Fowler has watching the back gates. All you need is one opening.”

“One opening and all the metal weapons my brother can make or that I can carry.” She poked my side and then gave me a serious look. “Have you talked to your guys today?”

“Asher texted me and said he would update me about River. As you know he wasn’t happy with me, but there really isn’t anything he can do. Grayson is the opposite and texted me good morning and that he’s ready whenever I am. The contrast is astonishing.”